Fifth wheel



Feb. 19, 1935. H. KETEL 1,991,507

FIFTH WHEEL Original Filed July 29, 1932 Patented Feb. 19, 193 r UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE Henry Ketel, Muskegon, Mich assignorto West'Michigan Steel Foundry 00., Muskegom'Mich,

' a corporation of Michigan I. 1 i 1 Application July 29, 1932, SerialNo."62 5,644

Renewed .July' 16,1934

GICIaims. (cl. 280i-33.1)

.This invention relates generally to a. coupling 3 and thus the lockingplate 30 may oscillate about device and more particularly to a couplingwhich the,pin31.. A recess 33 is formed in the locking is particularlyadaptable to the fifth wheel of a plate, this recess receiving the kingpin 35. And tractor or truck or the like, such inventionrelatapproximately opposite the recess 33 the edge of 5 ing to theeliminating of lost motion. whereby the the locking plate is .formedwith an arcuate sur- 5 king pin as well asother appurtenant parts areface 36 terminating in ashoulder portion 37 as prevented from breakingdue to impact therebeclearlylshown in Figs. 1 and. 2. tween. V A levermember 40 is pivoted onto the plate Another object of the invention liesin its simmember and. the previously referred to memplicity whereby itis economical to manufacture. ber 32 by means of the pin 41, this levermember 10 Further objects and advantages will be aphaving a roller 43pivoted thereon. The roller parentfrom the following description. member43 rides against the arcuate surface 36 In the drawing: andfabutsagainst the, shoulder member 37 as I V Fig. 1 is an underplan viewshowing the king clearly shown in Fig. 2. A pin member 50, see pincoupled onto the pulling element. Figs. 1 and 2,. is pivoted at 51 ontothe lever 15 Fig. 2 shows theseveral parts their unlocked member 40 anda spring 52 encircles this pin memposition. 1 f ber 50 and abuts againsta. lug 53 this maintain- Fig. 3 is a sectional viewj'taken along theline ing the roller 37 againstthe arcuate surface 36. 3--3'ofFig. 1. 1Fig. 4.is a fragmentary View taken along the 7 line 44 of Fig. 1. iBefore the device is in operative position, the Similar numerals referto similar parts king pin isin the position shown in Fig. 2 andthroughout the several views. isguided by means of the tapered sides 12into Numeral 10 indicates the plate member genthe recess 33; the impactof the king pin 35 roerally, such having depending ribs 11 for thepurtating the. several parts to the position shown in 25 pose ofmounting. and housing the several parts Fig. 1. When the parts assumethis position, the therein. The plate member 10 is mountedin any rollermember 43 is urged against the arcuate desired manner upon eitherthepulled or pulling surface 36 and snaps downwardly behind the unit,preferablythe pulling unit. shoulder 37 whereby thelocking plate is pre-30 The plate member 10 is formed with a tapered vented. from returnmovement and hence the 30 opening 12 which merges into a rectangularlyking pin is firmly held in position. The imshaped opening 13, and therib 11 across the rear pact of the king pin 35 is taken care of by'theend of said opening has a plun r member 14 plunger member 14, the kingpin riding against slidably mounted therein. the bifurcated pin'20 andslightly compressing the 35 The p e emb 1 extends through o coiledspring 17. The coiled spring 17 is of ex- 35 of the ribs 11 at oneend ofthe rectangular P tremelys'trong construction and pushes the king 13 andalso through abeall'ing 1 13 depend; pin 35 outwardly and causes theshoulder 37 of n from t underside of the plate and it 18 the lockingplate to bear tightly against the roller shouldered at 15 and the washer16 abuts against member 43 thus maintaining the Several parts intheshoulden Aheavy lioiledspl'ing 17 bears at connected relationship soas to prevent any lost one end against the washer 16 and at its othermotion whatsoever therebetween it bears against the bearing mg 18tending to Release of the device is manually secured by thrust the 'p 14forwardly: The rear end rotating the lever 40 about its pivot 41, suchof the plunger 15 threaded and the nut and 3 3 withdrawing the roller 43from behind the shoul- 45 19 are located thereon and the'washer 19striking der 37 and permitting the kin I g pin to rotate the the bearlnglug 18 111Il1t$ forward motion of the locking plate to the positionShown inFig 2 f ga g 2 2g i g fi g g i ggg i g where the frictionalengagement of the roller $3 2 and this a provides a Shoulder whichagainst the second shoulder 57 prevents excessive will engage a Stop lug21 formed on the under movement of the locking plate and hence the 50side of the plate 10 to limit rearward movement of lockmg Plate q readyfor reengagement the plunger. whenever such is desired.

A locking plate 30 is pivotally mounted by the Having thus described myinvention, 1 de pin 31 onto the plate member, such plate memsire it tobe understood that the 1nvent1on 1s 1n i 56 her having a lower extendingmember 32, see Fig. nowise limited to the particular 1llustrat1veembodiment disclosed, the scope thereof being set forth in the followingclaims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a plate member, said platemember having a rectangularly shaped recess therein adapted to receive aking pin therein, a locking plate movably mounted adjacent said recess,said locking plate having a recess therein, one side of said recessextending across the recess in the plate when the locking plate is inits unlocked position, whereby the king pin will engage thereagainst toturn the locking plate so that the other side of said recess will extendacross the first'mentioned recess, to

close the first mentioned recess, positivelocking v means for preventingreturn movement of the locking plate and spring means for preventingexcessive movement of the locking plate in the other direction, saidspring means also eliminating'the lost motion in the several parts.

2. In a device of the character described, a plate member having atapered opening therein, said tapered opening merging into arectangularly shaped opening, a king pin adapted to be slidably engagedby the tapered opening and then guided into the rectangular opening, alooking plate pivotally mounted alongside of the said rectangularopening, said-locking plate having a recess therein and an arcuatesurface formed thereon, said recess being located so as to receive theking pin whereby pressure at the kingpin will turn the locking plateabout its pivot, a lever pivotally mounted on the plate member andhavinga locking roller mounted thereon, said looking roller engagingagainstthe'arcuate surface of the locking plate, spring means tonormally means whereby, when the king pin moves-into said opening, theking pin engages the locking plate and moves it to locking position,means to hold the locking plate in locked position, said locking plateengaging the back side of the king pin in the locked position, yieldablemeans engaging the front side of the king pin whereby excessive inwardmovement of the king pin is prevented and whereby slack motion betweenthe king pin and the locking plate is prevented.

4. In combination, a plate having an opening therein adapted to receivea king pin, a locking plate pivotally mounted adjacent said opening,means whereby when the king pin moves into the opening, the king pinengages'the locking plate and moves it to lockingrp'osition', means tohold the locking plate in locked position, said locking plateengagingtheback side-of the king pin in locked position, a spring pressedyielding plunger mounted within the opening in the plate 7yieldably'engaging the front side of the king pin whereby excessiveinward movement of the king pin is prevented and slack motion betweenthe king pin and the locking plate is prevented. j

5. In combination, a plate having an opening therein adapted to receivea king pin, a locking plate pivotally mounted adjacent said. opening;said locking plate having a recess therein and an arcuate formed.surface formed thereon, a lever 1 pivotally mounted on said plate memberhaving a roller mounted thereon, said roller engaging against thearcuate surface of the locking plate,

spring means, to urge the'roller intoengagement with said locking plate,a" shoulder on said'lock ing plate adapted to engage against the rollerto hold the locking plate from rotation in one direction, which rotationreleasesthe king pin, the

recess in saidlooking plate engaging the back' side of the king pin inlocked position, a spring pressed yielding plunger located in theopening in the plate engaging the front side of the king and to preventslack motion between the king pin and the locking plate.

' 6. ln-combinationia plate having an opening therein adapted to receiveJaking pin, a'locking plate, having a recess therein, pivotally'moun'tedadjacent said opening in the plate, a 1ever'-piv-.l

otally' mounted on the plate'having a locking roller mounted thereon,said locking-plate having an arcuate surface adjacent said recess; a

tioned arcuate surface, a locking shoulderinter mediate the two arcuatesurfaces and a stop shoulder formed at the outer end of the second 1 7 vmentioned arcuate surfaca'said locking roller being yieldably urgedtowardthe pivot of the lock-V 1 ing plate, said stop shoulder restingagainst the locking roller when thelocking plate is in 1111?,

locked position, inward movement of 'the' king pin causing the lockingplate to rotate causing the second mentioned arcuate surface to movepast the locking roller until the locking roller drops behind thelocking-shoulder, this position 7 being the locked position,furtherinward movement of the king pin moving the first mentioned surface alongthe roller, yieldable means tending to prevent this further inwardmovement of the king pin. A

pin to prevent excessive inward movement thereof second arcuate surfaceadjacent said first en 4 e

